


Where the Currents Take Us

by mind_P0llution



Category: BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Genre: Depeictions of a plane crash, F/M, Hand Jobs, Hurt/Comfort, Infertility, Male Masturbation, Mentions of War, Mentions of blood/ injury, Military Funeral, Nsfw content, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, PIV Sex, PTSD, Smoking, Unprotected Sex, Vaginal Fingering, body fluids, mature language, mentions of death and dying, police funeral
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:16:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23899606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mind_P0llution/pseuds/mind_P0llution
Summary: A flight to the tropics holding two very different people crashes in the Pacific. One, A hardened lawman who has difficulty trusting others after years on the force, the other, a young ecologist who would rather spend her time with wildlife than people. When they find themselves stranded on a desert island, will they be able to push past their differences to survive?
Relationships: Flip Zimmerman/Reader, Flip Zimmerman/You
Comments: 16
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

Flip Zimmerman hated flying. The last time he was on a plane was when he was coming home from being deployed in the Vietnam War, a time he would mostly like to forget. He hated how cramped the cabin felt with his long, slender frame, and he hated strangers who tried to make conversations he wasn’t interested in having. The airbus he was currently on was much nicer than the cargo carrier he flew home in, but that didn’t mean he hated flying any less. 

Flip ducked his head slightly as he walked down the aisle looking for his seat, trying his best not to bump into anyone with his bag. “’Excuse me miss, I’m so sorry” He says deeply with a slight grimace on his face as he managed to brush against a woman he saw earlier in the airport. 

He remembers thinking how beautiful she was, and that if he had more time in the terminal, he may have offered to buy her a drink. He may be on a business trip, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun. 

She looks up at him from her seat “No problem sir, it appears you need a lot more room than I do” she said with a small smile, exuding empathy before returning to the paperwork she was holding. She seemed to understand just how difficult it is to maneuver around this aircraft, let alone for a man of his stature.

Flip nods curtly before moving on to find his seat, which just so happened to be in the row directly behind the woman. He opens the overhead storage, placing his weekend bag inside while trying to make himself as small as possible to allow for other travelers to squeeze in behind him. He mutters a few curse words under his breath, hating the feeling of people he didn’t know walking so closely behind him. 

He sits down, stretching his long legs out in-front of him noting that he is next to the emergency exit door. He takes in site of a pamphlet outlining what to do in case of an emergency in the pocket of the seat in front of him. Flip likes to be prepared; it was in his job description to be prepared for anything after all. He quickly lights up a cigarette before pulling the document out to read it, at the same time a flight attendant, wearing entirely too much makeup coupled with a seductive smile on her face comes by. 

“Hey there handsome” she says leaning down, pushing her tits closer to Flips face, he grimaces slightly before masking it with a fake smile. “Is there anything I can get ya?” she asks with a sultry tone.  
He takes a deep inhale of his cigarette before pushing the smoke out the side of mouth to avoid blowing it directly in her face “No doll, I think I’ll be okay. Thanks”, he says politely before returning to the pamphlet, attempting to end the conversation before she gets any ideas. 

He’s a detective, he’s been trained to read faces, body language, and situations. This flight attendant is exuding big sexual energy, and he’s not interested. Flip has dealt with his fair share of “badge bunnies”, and sure- he’s fucked around, but he’s getting older and he’s just not interested in the same way that he used to be. 

The flight attendant makes an audible “Hmph” sound before lifting her chin up and walking off comically to the front of the plane. Flip chuckles deep within his chest as he shakes his head, unbothered by the exaggerated display, pulling another deep drag from his cigarette. He then hears the sound of a woman trying to hold back laughter in the row in front of him. He smirks pleased that this display could at least entertain someone. 

He finishes reading over the pamphlet, reaching over to place it back into pocket as he taps his cigarette into an ash tray. He runs one of his large hands through his hair as he thinks to himself how he ended up in this fuckin’ tin can.

_Chief Bridges called Flip into his office like he usually did “Zimmerman! Office. Now.”_

_Flip can still hear the way Ron and Jimmy teased him like he was some school kid in trouble._

_“Yes Chief?” Flip asks while closing the door to the office behind him while waiting for Bridges to give him permission to sit._

_“Jesus, sit down Zimmerman. You’re takin’ up the whole fuckin’ doorframe standing there like that.” Bridges grumbles to himself waiting for Flip to take a seat before continuing “I’m sending you to Hawaii to go to a law enforcement seminar” He says clasping his hands together watching for Flips reaction. “You’re the only one I can count on to actually learn anything from this experience” he states while pointing a finger to the outside of the office “On account that those two buffoons would most likely end up wasted on the beach after visiting one too many luau’s.”_

_“Chief- “Flip starts to say as he tries to a find a way out of this trip knowing it’s going to interfere with several new cases that he’s been working on._

_“I don’t want to hear it.” Bridges says putting his hand up before reaching over to grab a case file on his desk. “You leave next week, and it’s only for a few days” he says signaling for Flip to get out of his office._

And that’s how Flip found himself on this godforsaken plane going to some “tropical paradise.” Jokes on that miserable bastard Bridges, because Flip brought all of his case files to review on this six-hour flight. The chief would be a fool to think that Flip would let one of his brothers back home solve a case before he did. A little bit of friendly competition he likes to call it.

* * *

You couldn’t help but try and hold in a laugh, watching that flight attendant leave in frustration as her advances were turned down by the handsome man sitting behind you. 

You noticed him immediately when he walked up to the terminal earlier that day. He is a large man that radiated confidence, but didn’t seem cocky about it. He had such a deep scowl set on his handsome face, tapping one of his cowboy boots as he was looking for a place to sit. You could tell that he was not a fan of flying, maybe even more than you. 

Sitting on the plane now, you could smell the tobacco coming from behind you, mixed with the scent of a musky cologne. It enticed you to say the least, pulling your senses towards the man that sat behind you. His presence weighing heavy on your back, he was hard to ignore. When he accidently bumped into you earlier you couldn’t help but hold back a blush as he muttered apologies, you didn’t expect him to be the one behind that deep baritone voice--the sound causing a heady throb between your legs. 

You shook yourself from your thoughts of him as you returned to the task at hand, reviewing case notes regarding your new assignment in Hawaii. You were sent by the university to study invasive plant and animal species on the big island, which is a large change from your previous detail working in the Rocky Mountains. 

You loved your job working as one of the senior Ecologists at Colorado State University. You were able to travel and do what you love most-- spending time in the wild. You loved being outdoors or in the lab, you felt safe there, truly at home. 

Growing up, you were teased relentlessly for the hobbies that you enjoyed. You would much rather be camping, hunting or collecting then going off to discos with others your age. In college it didn’t change much, however you found people who enjoyed the same activities that you did. You were able to build a tight-knit group of friends who didn’t care if you showed up in dirt covered overalls with no makeup on, because that was just who you were. You adored the time you spent with your family and friends going on outings into the wilderness, so much so, you decided to make a career of it. 

When you were presented with this opportunity to travel to Hawaii and study tropical species, you couldn’t have said yes fast enough. You didn’t think much about how you were going to get there, until now, as you sat anxiously waiting for the plane to take off. 

You put away the papers you were holding to close your eyes and take several deep breaths in and out. You were a scientist for goodness sakes, and yet here you are, knowing the statistics of plane crashes (you looked), and you still couldn’t help the sense of uneasiness as it sat heavy in the pit of your stomach. You wished you were bold enough to have asked the man sitting behind you for a drink before boarding, you may have been on business, but you could still have a little fun, and he looked like fun alright—a lot of fun. 

You were pulled from your thoughts as the pilot began to speak over the intercom. “Hello passengers, this is your captain, Anthony. the flight today will take us approximately six hours with a majority of it taking place over the Pacific Ocean. Sorry, not a lot of sight-seeing on this one.” He chuckles obnoxiously over the intercom “Please ensure that your seatbelts are fastened until given the okay by our flight attendants, and now I will have you turn your attention towards them for important safety information.” He ends with a click of the intercom overhead. 

Your anxiety is heightened as you hear the plane’s engine begin to start. You’re trying your best to pay attention to what the flight attendants are saying, but you can only hear the rush of blood in your ears as your heart begins to pound quickly. 

* * *

Flip watches the flight attendants’ spiel, even though he’s already reviewed the material. As he’s following the directions, his eyes wander to the gap between the airline seats in front of him, and he can’t help but take notice of you, your hands gripping the armrests in a torturous vice, knuckles white. He could find a couple ways to make you relax he thinks to himself smugly, surprising himself with his train of thought. 

The plane begins to takeoff down the runway and he continues to watch you out of the corner of his eye, your face beginning to match the shade of your knuckles now ghostly white, and he can see you mouthing words of reassurance to yourself. One side of his lips quirk up in a ghost of a smile, and he can’t help but think of your quirks as cute. He lays his head back against the headrest in attempt to get some shut eye, thinking that he might actually try to enjoy this trip after all. 

* * *

The flight attendants give the all clear to remove your seatbelts and the waves of nausea you feel seem to slowly subside. God, I hate that part! You think to yourself as you unbuckle your seatbelt only to think that there will be another round of this when the plane lands. You sigh frustratedly as you look out the window watching as the clouds pass by. 

You consider yourself a pretty tough woman, and it drives you insane to think something like this causes so much anxiety. Your mind travels back to the brooding man from earlier as you dare to steal a glance his way only to see him fast asleep--head resting back with his mouth slightly open, and you see a steady rise and fall of his chest as he chases dreams. Of course he’s asleep you think, rolling your eyes before turning back around with feelings of envy present. You wished you could sleep through something like that and it does not surprise you that he could. He seemed to have a calm demeanor, like he wouldn’t be riled by much 

You put your light on to get a flight attendants attention before ordering yourself a stiff drink, something to help you relax before you burry yourself into research. It’s only a matter of time before you feel your eyes get heavy, and you lull off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Flip is jolted from his slumber as he feels the plane vibrate roughly from what he guesses was altitude. He’s wonders how long he had been out as he rubs the sleep from his eyes just before he feels another jolt of the plane, this one is slightly more pronounced than the last. 

Suddenly, oxygen masks fall from the ceiling. Flight attendants start signaling for passengers to fasten their seatbelts while others demonstrate how to apply their masks.

Flip is thrust forward by another huge bump; he straightens himself out and quickly fastens his seatbelt, and that’s when he hears it. He hears it over the sound of the pilot warning passengers to prepare for a crash landing, he can hear it over the sounds of people around him screaming and crying, what Flip hears is the sound of a plane being pulled from the sky. Memories of the Vietnam War come flooding back to his mind. He shuts his eyes tightly as he recites prayers in his head, grasping onto the Star of David around his neck. All you and Flip can do at this point, is brace for impact.


	2. Chapter 2

When the plane hits the water, Flip is lurched forward again, he can feel his seatbelt dig into his hips simultaneously as the air is pushed from his lungs. The plummet to the ocean below felt like it took hours, even though in reality he knew it only took several minutes. The sounds of the cabin around him became muted, and all that was left was the rushing of blood in his ears and the sound of his heart beating rapidly within his chest. It took everything Flip had within himself to not return back to the jungles of Vietnam. He drew strength from his faith and his brothers back at home. 

Flip had to survive this, he just had to. 

When Flip is brought back from his thoughts, he takes a moment to register what is going on around him-his military training and adrenaline kicking in. He see’s that one side of the planes cabin was ripped away, and several of the passengers were now missing. Water- there is water coming in the plane now, he can feel it rushing down the aisle, sloshing around his feet. 

Flip gets up quickly, moving to the overhead bin with his belongings, he reaches into his suitcase and quickly pulls out only one important item-his gun. 

As a detective, he is allowed to bring his weapon onto an aircraft as long as he has his badge and further proof that he is a government official. Flip quickly slams the loaded clip into his pistol, securing It into his waistband, before moving quickly to assess for anyone that may still be alive. 

He’s knows that he must check for survivors before he opens his emergency exit- now suspended in the air as the plane is beginning to sink down into the ocean depths, the water making its way into the now open cabin. He knows once he opens that door, the air pocket will be gone and they will sink rapidly. 

Flip scans the isles, he sees a lot of unresponsive people, he’s triaging, quickly checking for pulses starting at the front of the small plane first. 

Dead-He moves onto the next.

Dead-He reaches to feel another pulse. 

Dead-all these people are dead. He’s hoping that the other missing passengers were able to swim out of the opening and find their way to the life rafts. 

Flip finally begins to make his way back to his seat and that’s when he sees you. Your body hunched forward, unmoving. “Oh God…please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead” Flip says softly to himself, eyebrows drawn together as he swiftly reaches over to feel the side of your neck for a pulse. 

He feels it- just beneath his fingertips. It’s weak and fast, but it’s there. _She must be in shock_ he thinks to himself as he quickly rushes to release the emergency exit. The door propelling out onto the surface of the ocean. 

It’s dusk now, and it’s difficult to see what else lies beyond the false security of the cockpit, but he knows it’s only a matter of time before you are both sucked under, the water now up to his hips.   
He wades towards you in the water, working to unclasp your seatbelt before he moves you to aisle, dragging you from underneath your armpits to keep you head above the water. Flip then lifts you up onto his back, your arms and head limp at his side, your legs on the other as he climbs out onto the side of the plane. He sees a life raft that has already been deployed. It’s floating on the dark surface of the water, illuminated by the moonlight, but there is no one inside. 

Flip doesn’t take the time to dwell on what happened to the poor soul that deployed the raft as he acts quickly. He places you down gently on the side of the plane before removing his belt and fastening it securely around your chest. He’s breathing heavy now, sweat collecting on his brow.

Flip jumps into the water, the thought of sharks briefly passing though his mind as he reaches for the belt, pulling you into the water with him, feeling the warmth of the ocean surround the both of you.   
He rolls over onto his back, pulling you onto his chest, while using his other hand to swim towards the life raft. He can hear the plane being sucked underneath the waters surface, he begins to swim faster, in fear of being taken under by the suction of the plane. 

“Fuck! Come on, just a little further!” Flip cries out in frustration, wet hair plastered to his face, using all the strength he has to get to the safety of the raft. 

He finally reaches the edge of the raft where he sees a large clip holding onto a buoy. He detaches it, throwing in onto the raft before attaching you to the side of the boat so that your head remains above the waters surface. 

He pulls himself aboard, and then detaches you, pulling you up with him before collapsing. 

“Fuck!” Flip yells out, moving the wet hair from his eyes, breathing rapidly. He’s shaking now as the adrenaline begins to fade from his system. 

He knows he needs to stay awake. Flip drags his body over to the emergency gear stashed on the raft, finding the flare gun. He rolls onto his back, loading the gun, before shooting it into the sky, seeing it arc brightly among the stars before fading as it hits the water. 

This is the last thing that Flip remembers before his mind fades into darkness. 

* * *

_It’s hot, so hot._ You can’t help but think as you run your tongue over your dry lips before attempting to crack one of your eyes open. 

“Ughhh” you groan out, before quickly snapping your eye back shut. Why is it so bright on the plane? 

“You’re awake” you hear a deep voice from your left as slowly sit up, feeling slightly lightheaded. 

You take another chance to open your eyes and that’s when you see the mystery person attached to the deep sound that’s sweet on your ears. It belongs to the hunk from the plane. He’s sitting in the sand beside you, he looks disheveled-tired, and this is when you register your surroundings. 

The plane? Sand? You think as you work hard to piece together foggy memories, gasping quietly as they slowly come back to you.

The last thing you remember was being shaken awake from a deep sleep by several episodes of turbulence, going from a dazed state, to fully awake and on high alert. The nerves you felt from take off quickly returning. You remember oxygen masks falling from the ceiling of the small aircraft and the pilot telling the passengers to brace for a crash landing. You vision became foggy, your hands started shaking and you were hyperventilating, and that’s it-that’s all you remember. 

“Here, you need to drink something” the man says as he hands you a large coconut. 

“Thanks-“ You pause as you realize you don’t even know the mans name who probably saved your life. “What’s your name?” 

“Flip, It’s Flip Zimmerman” He says curtly before taking a sip of a coconut himself. 

“Thank you Flip, for this, and for probably saving my life” you look down at the plant in your hands before continuing softly “My names Y/N by the way.” 

“Well, it’s nice to finally know your name, but I wish it was under different circumstances.” Flip purses his lips together in thought, squinting as he looks up at the sun high in the sky before continuing “I want you to get a couple of those down. I think you were in shock when I found you, you were unconscious until just now. While you’re doing that, I’ll fill you in on the foggy bits.” 

You nod your head in agreement thinking that this man certainly doesn’t mess around, which you are thankful for in a situation like this. You’re just hoping he’s not always so serious and that he’s willing to work as a part of a team. 

You follow his directions and continue to work on the coconut that he offered you as he relays what happened overnight. You watch in awe as he skillfully cracks open another one using a sharp rock, almost like he’s done this before. 

“And that’s what I remember” he says looking down at the rock in his hand solemnly “After I sent off the flare I passed out and I woke up to a flippin’ bird takin’ a shit right on my head” he chuckles pointing a long finger to his forehead before he continues to peal the meat of the fruit away, handing you the pieces that he frees. 

“Why do I feel like you’ve done this before? Cracking coconuts open with a rock I mean, not being stranded on an island.” You laugh to yourself as you roll your eyes “You know what I mean!” 

You watch as Flip wipes the sweat from his brow, pursing his lips together in a tight line before he responds. You realize that maybe you hit a nerve. 

“Felt like I was stuck on an island, but I cracked a lot of these when I was in Vietnam. I was infantry.” He finally rests, looking up at you with a deep gaze. 

_You idiot, Of course he was in the war! It’s only 1978.._ you think harshly to yourself before quickly answering. “I’m sorry Flip, I should have known…I didn’t mean to bring up possible bad memories for you.” You say, your face showing empathy, thinking back to your family. 

Your younger brother was in the war, but he was not as fortunate to make it back home. Thinking back, it wasn’t a pleasant memory for you either. 

“It’s okay, you didn’t know” Flip says looking at you now with a softened expression.

“Listen, we might be stuck here for a while, we need to get essentials out of the way- food, water, and shelter.” He says while getting up, brushing the sand off of his now dried pants, his feet bare. He holds his large hand out to you, an offer for help up. 

You look up at him blushing, still having a hard time wrapping your head around how attractive he is- his dark wavy hair, tall slender frame, and soft eyes regardless of his stoic presentation. You grab onto his hand as he helps hoist you to your feet. It’s at this time that you notice your shoes were also missing. Flip follows your line of vision and answers the question on your mind. 

“By the time we woke up our clothes were dry, but our shoes were still wet, can’t chance developing trench foot. I hope you don’t mind.” Flip says eyebrows raised high as he rubs the back of his head. 

“No, not at all, that was good call.” You say smiling up at Flip, trying to get his attention back to the present. You can see him drifting in and out of his memories of Vietnam. _This must be really hard for him_ you think to yourself before continuing. “I say let’s work on finding or making a water source first, and while we are working, we can get to know each other a bit better? What do you say?” You say looking up at him, watching him process what you’ve said before he nods in agreement. 

“That works for me, I’ve already scouted the surrounding area and we appear to be on a remote island. I didn’t see any water sources close by, but the island is pretty big.” Flip raises his eyebrows, wrinkles set deep in his forehead “but we need to do something first.” 

* * *

Flip can’t help but be amazed at how well you’re taking all of this considering how you were reacting on the plane. You seem so at home on this island-happy almost. He’d never imagined anyone would be happy being in a situation like this, but there you are, trucking along, even after he told you that you both would need to rub mud on your bodies to prevent sunburn. 

“Here’s a good moist patch of soil, this should be plenty for the both of us” Flip says hunched down running the dirt between his fingers. 

You laugh looking down at Flip, he’s so serious, and while you realize that this is a serious situation, you decide to tease him a little bit “I’m not so sure about that big guy, you have a lot of room to cover.”

Flip grunts low in his throat before saying “Yeah-yeah I do.” He then squints up at you before giving you a lopsided smile “but you don’t, so c’mere” His large hand grabs the back of your bare thigh as he pulls you towards him. 

You gasp in surprise at the sudden contact, and then again as he slaps a large clump of cold mud on your leg. “Flip!” 

He chuckles lightly, he loves that he made that sound come out of you, he wonders what other sounds he could pull from you under different circumstances, but he knows now is not the time for thoughts like that. 

“Come on, let me help you get the back of your legs and then we need to get going, we have a lot of work to do.” 

Flip continues to rub mud onto your skin while you begin working on your arms. Your mind wanders to thinking about how large his hands are but also how much of a provider he seems to be. You think about your line of work and how Flip seems to scream “alpha male”, it’s no wonder that flight attendant practically threw herself at him. _You wonder where she is now.._

He finishes helping you with your legs before he begins to put mud on his arms, neck, and face while you do the same. You both laugh at how crazy you look, but you understand the last thing either of you need is a severe sunburn. 

“We look insane” You say mid laugh looking up at Flip, eyes bright, smiling. 

“Well, I was going to say you looked kind of cute, but insane works too” He says sarcastically with a small smile, his eyes crinkling at the sides before it quickly fades “Okay, okay- fun’s over though. We need to get going”

You begin making your way through the trees, to see if you can find a water source. Flip thinks if the soil is moist in this area, the water can’t be too far off, and he wasn’t wrong. About one-hundred feet from the wet soil is a small waterfall. At the bottom is a deep pool that empties into a small stream. You’re not sure how you missed it, the sound must have been muffled by the waves.

You let out a small gasp when you see it, and when you look to Flip and you can tell he’s taken aback as well. 

“Flip, this is amazing, and it’s a perfect water source!” You say excitedly “We just need to dig a hole next to one of these trees, and the soil will act as a filter until we can get a fire going.” You say while looking for a tree closest to the pool.

Flip is rendered speechless; he’s standing there looking at you as you examine a good spot to dig a well. _Geez Flip, let your mouth hang open a little wider why don’t you, if you’re lucky you might catch something for you both of you to eat._ He near laughs at the image of a bird miraculously flying into his mouth before he shakes the image from his mind.

“What are you? some kind of survival expert?” Flip asks as he hunches down to help you dig a hole next to the tree you picked out. 

You laugh lightly while continuing to dig “I guess you could say I’m something like that. I’m an ecologist for the Colorado State University.” You pause breathing heavily, resting your hands on your knees.   
Flip pauses, looking at you, his face mere inches from yours, he’s slightly winded from digging. “An ecowhat?” he says genuinely confused “You trying to tell me you’re a scientist?” 

You smile widely thinking how cute his facial expressions are, thinking about kissing him, his lips so close to yours. You brush the thoughts away before you go back the task at hand “I study living things and their relationships to each other as well as the environment around them. I was actually sent here to study invasive plant species on islands just like this one.” 

You pause as you finally start to see water emerge from the ground. Waiting for it to rise so you can fill the empty coconut shells you brought with you. 

Flip sighs before letting out a low whistle “Well shit, between you and I we just might stand chance out here chick.” Flip says sitting back on his haunches as you looks at you with a shocked expression, eyebrows raised high showing off all the wrinkles on his forehead that you can’t help but find cute. 

“I’m starting to think so too, but what about you? What do you do for work?” 

Flip gives one of his lopsided smirks, eyes bright as he fills the coconuts with the murky, but clean water you obtained from the well “I’m a cop- well a detective if we’re are being technical, since I am talking to an intellectual and all.” 

* * *

You two had gotten down several coconuts filled with water as you were taking time to get to know one another. Flip told you about his coworkers and his time in the military, and you about your family and some of the research you have completed. 

Flip still couldn’t believe his luck, being stuck on an island with a gal like you. You were beautiful, smart, and spunky. Even with your face and body all covered with mud, you were still the most gorgeous thing he’s ever seen. 

He’s beginning to have this overwhelming need to keep you safe, which is baseline for Flip given his job, but this is different this time. This time you’re his to protect, this time it’s not some job. 

Flip watches as you begin working on collecting scraps and luggage from the crash. It seems that the same currents that brought you to the island also pulled in these items. Your hair keeps falling in your face as you lean over to collect something that you found. He loves the look you get when you find something useful. Your drive and ambition enough to get him hard… 

_Head in the game Zimmerman, focus!_

He walks up beside you as you start piling your findings into categories- clothes, food, medicine, tools. Flip has never been so glad for all those over stuffed bags that people kept ramming into him with at the airport. There may have been a lot of useless shit, but there certainly were some things that would be useful. 

“I think I found some clothes that might even fit you tough guy” you say teasingly as you gently bump him with your elbow. 

“Any shorts?” Flip asks eyeing the pile curiously “I gotta’ get out of these pants, they are starting to rub my skin raw.” He says as he begins to dig through the pile. He’s happy that for once he only wore his undershirt instead of his typical flannel, he was supposed to be going to a tropical island after all, but he did decide on his normal levis and cowboy boots, which looking back now he wishes he wouldn’t have.

“What about these?” you say holding up a pair of mid-thigh swim shorts that you feel like would fit him.

He eyes them suspiciously before grabbing them from you “yeah, I think those will do.” He says before he quickly turning around. 

You’re digging through the clothes pile hoping to find some sort of bikini to wear when you hear the sound of a zipper, you feel such a perv, but you steal a glance only to see him kicking his pants off and he is not wearing any underwear. _Of course he’s not wearing any underwear.. and no wonder he’s chaffing you think to yourself as you continue unashamedly stare._

Your jaw drops and you know you should look away, but you can’t. He has the perkiest ass you’ve ever seen. Your eyes trail down and you can see the outline of strong quads. What you fail to notice is that Flip is watching you from over his shoulder. He could feel your gaze burning into him. 

“Why don’t you stare a little longer hun, you might see something wave back at you” He says smugly as he turns around while tucking his manhood into place, you can see his happy trail and the top of his pubic hair as he does so. 

_Oh my god he’s talking about getting an erection. Wait. Does that mean he finds me attractive?_ You wonder in complete horror; you’ve never had a man be so forward with you before.

Flip watches as your mouth drops when you realize what he was referring too, if there wasn’t mud all over your face he’s sure it would be crimson. You seem so naïve compared to him and his usual horny and slightly perverted self, so he decides to cut you some slack. 

“Doll, it was just a joke. Don’t get that big brain a’ yours all twisted up.” Flip says as he turns his attention to the horizon. “It’s getting late, we need to at least get a fire going and we can worry about shelter tomorrow.” 

* * *

You have never been so relieved to find out that someone smokes as you are when Flip pulls his lighter from his pants pocket. You two quickly pull together whatever you can find as far as fuel and tinder before making a large pile on the beach, building it far enough from both the jungle and the tide. Flip has no problems, and quickly starts a fire.  


As you watch him work, you can’t help but feel slick form between your legs. He’s such an alpha male. He’s provided you with food, water, and warmth. Flip hardly even knows you but he’s taking care of you like he does. It seems like such a basic attraction, something so primal, but you realize that there might be something more to it. 

You like the person that Flip seems to be, and you can’t help but be emotionally attracted to him. Sure- he may be very serious and quite sarcastic, but he wears it well, and look at what it’s brought you. This day could have been catastrophic, but you and Flip pulled it off ,and you almost- just almost- forgot that you were now stranded on an island after surviving a plane crash. Flip has been your rock, and maybe you could be that for him too. 

You both walk to the shore after the fire was stable and began washing the now dry mud from your bodies, knowing the smoke would keep any bugs away. 

You didn’t realize that you managed to get some caked into your hair until you felt Flip come up behind you, using a coconut shell to pour water onto your head, whispering gently next to your ear “you’ve got some in your hair, let me help you.” He said it so softly it sent shivers down your spine, you suddenly feel his big hands begin to work at your scalp and you can’t help when your eyes roll back, it feels so good. You’ve never been comfortable with close human contact, but this? This is different. 

“There, that’s better.” Flip says as you turn around to look at him.

He can see your pupils are blown wide in the dim firelight. Watching them sparkle with lust. He’s seen that look before. He knows what he’s done to you, but now is not the time. You both need to focus on getting off this island. 

“Come on doll, lets get some shut eye. We’ve had a long day.” Flip says as he guides you back to the fire, a hand on your lower back. 

You both find places near the fire only about a foot apart from one another, using clothing as pillows. 

You roll over on your side to look at him “Flip?” you say quietly-he almost misses it. 

“Yeah Y/N?” Flip says looking down at you from his seated position. 

“I’m happy it was you.” He watches you speak as you pick at your hands nervously. He understands what you’re saying. You’re telling him everything with those few words. 

“Me too” Flip says with a small smile before laying back, his arms underneath his head as he looks up at the stars above, the sounds of the ocean lulling him to sleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

Flip was woken up early by the sound of the waves crashing on the shore after a long night of tossing and turning. He woke up several times through the night to stoke the fire and make sure that you were okay. His mind was on survival mode no matter how “smooth” your first day on the island went.

Flip isn’t sure if it’s just the circumstances that are making him so at ease with you or if it’s something else, but typically he’s very untrusting given his job. There is just something about you that Flip can’t pin-point and it’s drawn him to you from the beginning, that very moment he saw you in the airport and wanted to buy you a drink. Little did he know in less than 24 hours he’d be sleeping next you- and not because you two took a tumble in the sheets, but because the fuckin’ pilot couldn’t hold it together. Flip sighs as he glances over to you curled up on your side, watching as shadows from the fire dance across your face.

He meant it when he said that he was happy to be stranded with you. Not all of his reasoning has to do with the magnetic pull he has to you, but it certainly helps. He’s lost in his own thoughts tending to the fire when he hears you stir in your sleep.

He looks back to you and see’s your eyebrows draw together, your breath coming out of your nostrils in short pants. He knows what’s happening, and it’s only because he has been there too. Nights like these occurring too often, and especially right after the war.

He’s torn on what to do. Should he wake you and risk scaring you? Should he leave you to fight through it on your own? or should he do what he wished someone was able to do for him.

Flip pursed his lips together as he thought over his options-always weighing the risk verse the benefits “ahhh Fuck” Flip grumbles to himself quietly before carefully positioning himself behind you in the sand, his arm hovering over you. He’s second guessing himself before he pulls the hypothetical trigger, moving you close to his chest. He can feel you tense up at his touch so he whispers quietly in your ear “Shhh It’s okay. You’re safe, I’ve got you now.” Flip is not sure he’s not sure who he’s trying to convince as he wraps his arms around you a little tighter, thinking back to his own nights of terror, images of his fallen brethren passing through his mind as the darkness envelops him.

* * *

You wake to the feeling of the sun shining down on your face, the bright light casting a red hue across your closed eyelids. You remember waking briefly during the night, images of the crash playing vividly in your mind as well as the feeling of Flip holding you. Slowly you let your eyes flutter open, squinting at the early morning light as you replay the feeling of his strong arms around you in your head. You sigh as you rub a hand over your face, these thoughts and behaviors so unlike you. People have never been kind to you, which is why you isolate yourself in the lab, library, or the wild. With Flip? It’s different. He’s been nothing short of kind and understanding, and not to mention he literally saved your life.

_Speaking of Flip…_ you think to yourself as you look around the camp, passing over the fire and salvaged items as you try to locate the man that has taken up your thoughts this morning. You turn your focus to the horizon, scanning the waves closest to the beach when spot him.

“Oh my god..” you say breathily as a shiver runs down your spine. You bite your lower lip and dig your hands lightly into the flesh on the tops of your exposed thighs as you take in the site of Flips naked form. His lean muscular back is to you as he wades deeper into the ocean, the water reaching his lower thighs, tickling the sparse but dark hair that covers them. You watch him stand there looking out onto the horizon, his hands rubbing up and down the speckled and now slightly tanned skin of his broad chest. You watch as he sits down in the water. One of his muscular arms behind him for support as the other begins moving in font of him, water sloshing around his bent elbow.

You tilt your head to the side, your eyes squinting trying to figure out what he’s doing. Your jaw goes slack with realization. _He’s jerking off._

A warm blush crawls up to your cheeks as you guiltily watch his strong bicep and forearm flex as he grips himself mercilessly. You can feel heat pool between your legs, your fingertips gripping your thighs a little tighter now, your knuckles white from the pressure. You turn your head away as you hear a deep grunt leave his lips over the sound of the ocean. _He must think the sound of the waves would cover his cries of release-or he doesn’t care_ you think to yourself as you pick up the empty coconut shells. You take them with you to collect water in attempt give Flip some privacy, no mater how hard it is to take your gaze away from the erotic scene in front of you.

* * *

You take your time by the waterfall, collecting water and bathing now that you have some time away from Flip-him being _preoccupied_ with other things. You enjoy the feeling of the cold water touching your skin, washing away the sweat from the day before. You find it difficult not to trail too long between your legs, the heavy throb and need to be filled overwhelming.

You manage to finish up and get redressed in your salvaged bikini and over-sized shirt before you hear Flip’s booming voice behind you.

“Y/N!” he yells out, the sound of leaves crushing beneath heavy footsteps, his voice sounding slightly panicked. 

“I’m over here Flip!” you yell back turning just in time to see him barreling though the foliage, nostrils flaring and eyes dark.

_Oh, he looks pissed._

Flip rushes over to you grabbing your face firmly between his hands, bringing his own face just mere inches from yours as he stares deeply into your eyes.

“You can’t do that Y/N! Do you understand me? You just can’t!” his hands shake as he talks to you, his tone harsh but quiet.

You’re not sure how to respond taken back by his action’s, tears burning at the corners of your eyes. His gaze is moving back and forth now looking between your eyes waiting for you to respond “Answer me Y/N. _Do you understand_?” he asks, his lower lip trembling.

“Yes” you say your answer barely above a whisper as silent tears flow freely down your face, your body shaking with anger and fear from how he spoke to you. You’re feeling so much right now, and it’s hard to process all the emotions flooding through you. You watch as Flip looks at you, nodding curtly before pulling you into a rib crushing hug, your head tucked under his chin.

“You scared me. You were on the beach and then you were gone and I didn’t know where you were” Flip was rambling his voice strained and his body shaking against yours. Suddenly you feel a droplet of water land on your forehead and when you look up to find the source you see Flip with tears running down his face, his expression guarded and untelling of his current emotions. The lump that was already in your throat feels as though it’s getting bigger, your chest aching as you try and stop your own tears.

“I can’t do this alone Y/N, I just can’t.” He takes a shaky breath in before looking up into the treetops and continuing “I need you here with me. I’ve been alone for too long, and I’ve lost too many people. When you weren’t on the beach, I thought I lost you too. I promised myself I would keep you safe no matter what the moment I pulled you from that plane.”

You’re not sure what came over you as you pull Flips mouth to yours, tasting the salt of each other’s tears on your tongue as you guide it across his lips, his mouth quickly opening to your plea.

His hands quickly tangle in your hair as his lips move across yours, his body relaxing against your own as your own hands wander up his chest, gripping him like you’re afraid his going to be pulled from your grasp. You two don’t need to speak with your words anymore, the kiss speaking for you. It relays all that you two have been through- trauma, hurt, comfort, hope- it’s all there dancing between your lips. The sound of the waterfall and the thundering of your heartbeat the only thing breaking the silence.

Flip is the first to pull away, looking at your eyes again before resting his forehead against yours “Fuck, I’m so sorry doll, I don’t know what came over me” he says nuzzling his forehead against yours “I’m so tense, and I don’t mean to take it out on you. I haven’t had a cigarette in over twenty-four hours, and I’ve been smoking for seventeen years babe- _seventeen fuckin’ years_.”

He lets out a deep sigh as you wrap your arms round his middle, he’s rambling again but you let him continue, “not a single fuckin’ plane went over us last night even with the fire going and I haven’t cried in god only knows how long” He kisses your forehead “I’m stressed.”

It’s your turn to comfort Flip in the same way that he comforted you last night. You hug him tightly before loosening your grip to rub small circles on the bare skin of his back “Shhh it’s okay, we can do this. Look at how far we’ve come already! Today we will make a shelter and work on getting food. It’s going to be okay Flip.” You pause your movements to look up at him, admiring his handsome but serious face.

Flip stares off into the distance, his face is stoic and his lips pursed together as he thinks. He breaks his focus and returns his attention back to you nodding, “You’re right, we make a good team. Thanks babe.”

You smile at the nickname and pull away from his embrace, collecting the coconuts filled with water before turning back to him, a coy grin on your face “Anytime detective.”

* * *

You and Flip spend the remainder of the day working on various jobs, you were currently tasked with weaving palm fronds as Flip worked on the structural parts of your shelter. Due to the lack of modern tools, you were forced to work with what you had and that required a lot of energy on Flips part. His plan was to make a slightly elevated platform with a roof, the harsh island elements along with the lack of planes or boats were making you both concerned. The possibility of being on the island for a while becoming more of a reality as the hours ticked by.

Flip had rummaged through the washed-up luggage again, and found a few tubes of sunscreen. While you really didn’t mind being covered in mud, it made you feel like crawling out of your skin if left on for long periods of time. You both agreed to only use the sunscreen when you planned long days out in the sun such as this.

Every so often you would bring him coconuts full of water, but you soon realized that you both needed food.

“Flip” you call out to him, having fully learned your lesson from earlier “I’m going to see what I can grab us to eat from the tide pools.”

He pauses his movements of hammering with a large stone to look up at you, nodding as he wipes sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand “Just be careful babe, don’t go too far…and watch where you’re stepping!” He adds the last part with a pleading look his eyebrows pulled together showing all of the adorable wrinkles on his forehead.

You smile, now understanding Flip and his overall “Mostly work and a little play” attitude. Your heart feels full as you walk towards the rocky pools along the shore. 

Your mind wanders as you look into the pools searching for your next meal, a spear that Flip made earlier in one hand. While the nature of the relationship between you and Flip has changed, neither of you have felt the need to comment on it. You both are mature adults who analyze situations before you act. The current circumstance that you both find yourselves in is changing how you would typically approach comfort and intimacy with a person you met just mere days ago.

You’re a woman of science and Flip- a lawman. You both are not the type to jump headfirst into situations, and yet-this time- it just _feels_ right. You are not usually that person who throws all logic to the window and relies solely on a feeling, but nothing about your current situation is typical, so here you are, treading new waters, (both figuratively and literally) with an open heart _and_ an open mind.

You gasp in delight when you see several species of aquatic life that you recognize. You set your focus on a tidepool sculpin, which you know to the untrained eye may be mistaken for the highly poisonous stonefish-it’s coloring and general shape very similar. You have heard from the locals that sculpin, are not the most edible of the tide pool dwellers, but it’s nutrients and protein. You know Flip needs to eat with all the energy he’s been exerting.

You sink low in the sand, lining up your shot, inhaling deeply through your nose as you-

“MOTHER FUCKER!”

You turn to see Flip sucking one of his thick, calloused digits into his mouth while eyeing the shelter with a deathly glare. You shake your head while rolling your eyes at your fiery partner as you return to the task at hand, thinking how lucky you are to have him. Your feelings mirrored Flips words-you couldn’t- and don’t want to do this alone.

* * *

The rest of the day went by in a blur. You managed to catch several fish, cleaning and cooking them over the fire before bringing them to Flip. He was able to finish a majority of the shelter after showing you which plants could be cut for cordage, teaching you how to weave them into something useful. The only thing left to be completed on the shelter was the walls to block out any of the harsh elements.

The shelter platform was elevated about two feet above the ground, and was large enough for you and Flip to lay down side by side with extra room so his long legs didn’t hang over the edge. The roof was made from various leaves and luggage pieces that you worked so hard to collect, ensuring the roof was sealed tight from any tropical storms.

You stare at Flips work in awe as you feel him come up behind you, wrapping his arms around you while resting his chin on the top of your head.

“What do you think?” Flip asks you while beaming with pride as he bends down to whisper in your ear “I’ll put up the white picket fence tomorrow.”

You laugh lightly, the sound quickly traveling to Flip’s cock that feel grow hard against your back.

As much as Flip tried to cover his arousal by moving his body away from yours you felt it anyways. Your thoughts started running back to earlier in the day when you caught him pleasuring himself, it is then that an idea comes to the forefront. You know Flip is probably hankering for a cigarette, his body sore from today’s labor and thoroughly stressed out about your current situation. The least you could do is take some of that burden from him. You smile shyly to yourself as your pulse picks up. You can’t believe what you are about to do, this island making a new woman out of you.

You break from Flips hold, grabbing his hand and guiding him down to the water, stopping by the fire to grab a little something you made along the way. Flip’s eyebrows are drawn together obvious that he’s unsure of what you are up to, but he follows without protest. You’re happy for this as your confidence is only simmering beneath the surface. You’re not sure if you would be able to continue with your plan if he stopped you to question your actions.

The top of the water is shimmering against the moonlight. It’s so bright that it illuminates the beach without issue and the water is so clear you can see the sandy bed beneath.

Flip watches you when you let go of his hand to remove the over-sized tee covering your “borrowed” bikini, your skin almost completely bared to him except for the small pieces covering your womanly curves.

“Come on detective- in the water you go” you say with a smirk, pulling on his hand behind you as you wade into the warm water.

“What are you up to babe?” Flip asks, looking at you with a small lopsided grin as he follows you “You look like you’re up to no good.”

“Maybe I am?” you say stopping suddenly as you urge Flip to sit down, taking your seat behind him in the water, the top reaching your chest and his stomach as you lean in to whisper next to his ear “But I promise you’re going to like it.”

You open the tin of crushed cassava, the same plant that flip had you make cordage from.What he didn’t know was that you not only could identify the plant, but also knew that island natives used it’s root to make soap and shampoo for hundreds of years. You were lucky enough to find an old card tin in someone’s luggage that washed up and placed your handy work in there. You grabbed a hand full of the crushed root, closing the tin tightly before securing it in your bikini top.

Flip must have heard the clink of the tin because he’s already asking questions, curiously trying to twist around and see what you have in your hands “What is that?”

You laugh while nudging him to face forward again as you squeeze liquid from the plant over his large muscular back, rubbing it into his skin using the plant fibers in your hands.

You take your time massaging his tense muscles, occasionally getting a gasp or groan from Flip. His head was hung low and resting on his arms which were perched on the knees of his folded form. You rinsed off the cassava and started tugging him back against you, his back against your chest, your legs open and on either side of his hips.

You start running your open palms against his chest, fingertips leaving feather light touches across his necklace and nipples before moving further down his body.

Flips eyes are shut tight, his breathing slightly labored, the uncertainty of your next movements exciting him. His shorts strained as his thick cock pushes against the fabric.

“I saw you earlier- “you whisper so quietly next to his ear, dragging your nails against his taut abdomen. “it was so hard not to watch you…to join you.” Your fingertips grace just below his waist band, brushing along the dark coarse hair leading from his belly button to just above his hard cock.

Flip groans, pushing his head against your shoulder just a little more “that’s why you ran off huh? Did the thought of my big Jew dick being too much for you scare you away babe?” Flip says with a grunt starting to piston his hips just slightly, hoping to touch your hand as it makes its move up and down his body. 

You feel a heaviness flood your lower belly as you bring your hands quickly back up to his muscular pecs, your nails leaving red angry marks on his skin as you bend down to nip at his ear.

You moan thinking back to how badly you needed to be filled earlier. His cock stretching you- claiming you.

“Take it out.” You say pinching his nipples firmly, eliciting a hiss through clenched teeth as he frantically moves to take out his throbbing dick.

He shifts his shorts down, the waistband now resting just below his heavy balls, it propping his cock up high as it rests heavily against his stomach, the angry red tip almost touching his bellybutton under the warm water.

You moan, biting your lower lip as you look down over his shoulder taking in site of him. His cock twitching at the sound. You knew he was big, but you didn’t think he would be _that_ big.

“ohh fuckk Flip, look at you” you moan into his ear as you run your palms back down his body, taking his hard dick in your hand, his hips thrusting into your grip immediately.

He’s desperate for release. He’s thrusting repeatedly into your hand now, his own gripping the sand beneath the water’s surface “Pleassse. Please babe” he begs you as he moves his hips.

“Shhh it’s okay, let me make you feel good” You start pumping your hand up and down his shaft, feeling the hard ridge underneath and large veins along the sides brush against you with each up-and-down stroke. Drops of precum mix with the water making his skin glide effortlessly in your grip.

“mpff grip me harder” he groans out, his eyebrows drawn together, the veins in his neck jutting out as more filth spills from his lips “grip me just like your cunt will when I fill you for the first time.” 

Your own breathing picks up as you tighten your grip on him, the large head of his dick popping out between your closed fingers with each pump-each thrust. You can feel your own arousal drip from between your legs, knowing that he’s picturing fucking your pussy behind his closed eyes.

“Is this what you were thinking about earlier?” you urge him along, reaching down to move one of his own hands to massage his heavy sac that is pulled tight to his body. You could tell he was close.

He lets out a shaking breath as he sloppily bucks into your grip “I was thinking about you ridding my big fuckin’ cock babe, that cunt of yours so fuckin' wet, your tits bouncing in my face-oh, oh fuckohfuckkkkk” He hisses out as he spurts his hot seed into the water around you, still fucking your hand as he does. He thrusts hard one last time before collapsing against your back, his large body relaxing against yours.

You kiss along his neck, rubbing your hands over every inch of skin you can touch as you watch his cock slowly soften, the sound of the waves and Flips labored breathing filling your ears.

You take the tin of soap back out and gather up enough to lather over the rest of his large frame. His eyes still closed as he pulls his shorts back up, enjoying the feeling of being pampered. You work on rinsing him off before he finally makes a move to straighten out, grabbing the tin of soap from your bikini top.

“C’mere doll” he pulls you to him, repeating the same process of washing you, peppering your skin with open mouthed kisses as he moves from body part to body part.

You two finish up and quickly change into dry clothes, curling up together next to the fire under the veil of moonlight. While your bodies are now at ease, you both know your eyes are focused on the horizon and sky, looking for any signs of life-any hope for rescue. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being so patient waiting for any update on this one. I am so happy with how this chapter turned out and I truly hope you all enjoyed it as well!


	4. Chapter 4

A week. It’s been one whole week since the crash, and only a few days since that blissful night where Flip lost himself in the ocean. Lost himself with you. He let the currents carry his stress out to sea, only for it to be replaced by the fear that weighs heavy in the pit of his stomach and the headaches that still come from the lack of nicotine.

Besides the dark cloud of no rescue that looms over your heads, island life with you has been bliss. Between the stolen kisses and gentle caresses during the day and the nights filled with talk of your lives before all of this, there hasn’t been much time to dwell on the negatives.

As far as Flip is concerned, being here with you is one of the easiest things that he has done. It’s getting off the damn thing that has been difficult. You both have been successful with gathering food, and you managed to salvage enough materials to now be able to boil water at camp. The shelter that Flip made has held up well with just occasional reinforcing of the roof needed to prevent leaking.

You both made a large “SOS” sign along the beach with left over materials and unusable salvaged items that he is sure is large enough to be seen by a plane. During the evening’s he ensures the fire is large enough to be seen by a boat, but small enough to not run through materials. His mind is always going, working on new ways to try and get off the island just short of making a boat himself and sailing of this motherfucker. 

Flip wants nothing more than to lose himself between your legs, to lose himself in you. He can’t tell if it’s the withdrawal that’s making him crazy for you, but one thing that Flip does know, is that he never does anything half assed, and with you? He’s all in.

He knows he shouldn’t be focused on getting his dick wet in a situation such as this and that’s what brings him to his current state- taking his frustrations out on a piece of shrapnel that washed ashore (a piece of the plane he assumes). He’s working on fashioning it into a knife to hunt and shave with. His old military habits around hygiene and appearance have never left him. While you were lucky to find several useful items in the luggage that washed up on the beach, a knife or razor was not one of them.

Flip’s cussing and grumbling to himself, thinking about how everything would be better if he had a sweet cancer stick between his lips. A little nicotine to calm his nerves and make him think straight, but when he see’s you out of the corner of his eye, all thoughts of smoking leave him.

_You’re stunning_

He watches as you walk along the shore. You’re fishing spear in hand checking the tidepools as you walk along the rocky deposits scattered in the sand. The scared, anxiety ridden women on the plane now long gone and replaced by the strong, independent and feral beauty he sees before him.

He smiles thinking about late-night conversations you two have had ever since he lost his cool by the waterfall. The day that Flip just let himself _feel,_ something he hasn’t done since he was a young boy beginning to grow into a man. 

You talked about why you became an ecologist. How people were never good to you, so you turned to nature. Its call too great for you to ignore. Flip can see that now. He see’s it in the way you hold yourself out here. The smiles that bring light to your eyes when you see a plant or animal you recognize. You were made to be outside, but even more, you were made for Flip.

When he told you about his time in Vietnam, about his brothers he lost, about how this fucking island is making him re-live parts of his past he was trying to forget, you just listened. You didn’t give him unwanted looks of sympathy. You didn’t look at him like he was a broken-half shell of a man like so many others did when he came home. You looked at him just as you always had- Flip was still “just Flip.” 

He’s unsure how to describe what feelings lie behind the deep pools of your expressive eyes when you look at him, and for once in his life, he doesn’t feel as though he needs to analyze it. He doesn’t feel as though he needs to break it apart and figure out whether your being truthful or not, because what you tell him with your eyes is something that he feels too. It’s pure and real and new and that’s all there is to it.

He watches you with adoration as you drop your spear, looking out into the Lagoon that partially surrounds your island (a term you recently taught Flip) before moving to strip out of your clothes. He watches as you slowly wade naked into the clear blue water before diving beneath the sparkling waves.

Flip smirks, a lopsided smile on his now scruffy face as he shakes his head.

_Cheeky girl. Knows I’m fuckin’ watching, she must be giving me a show._

He watches the surface waiting for you to come back up for air, and It’s not long after he finishes that thought before you make your way back to the surface. You’re facing him now. There is a soft smile playing at your lips. Your eyes are closed, but your face is turned upwards towards the sky as you run your hands over your hair, smoothing it back against your scalp. Water droplets cascade down your body, pebbling your nipples before following your curves and finding their way home at the apex between your legs.

Flip has to look away as he feels his thick cock start to twitch in his shorts. He moves his attention back to the task at hand knowing you’ll be in the water for awhile and that he has a very good use for the tool he’s making.

* * *

If it were anyone else coming up to you with a knife in their hand and a smile on their face, you would have been scared, but seeing Flip approach you where you sat in the white sand, a look of victory on his face peaked your interest. You wanted to know what he was up to.

“Whatcha’ got there gunslinger?” You ask playfully, the nickname rolling easily off your tongue. The name originating from the cowboy boots that have been put away for something more “island appropriate.” 

Flip hums deep within his chest before grunting as he takes a seat next to you, his body facing your direction, his long legs on either side of your torso.

“Still got that fancy tin a’ soap from the other night?” Flip asks as he washes the blade of the knife in the surf.

You can feel your cheeks heat up with the mention of the other night, the thought of holding Flip has he came, watching the tight muscles of his abdomen flex as he spurt his hot seed onto his stomach and into the water surrounding you. 

“Babe?” Flip says pulling you from your thoughts, a smug look on his face as his eyes burn with mischief.

You shake your head before clearing your throat and smiling up at him “Yes, I do. I actually have it right here” you say grabbing it from your discarded shorts, the only thing covering your body is a somewhat see-through sarong you found. It now being your primary attire as it doesn’t chafe your already over sun exposed skin.

Flip purses his lips together before nodding and handing you the pocket mirror you’ve been using to try and signal potential rescuers. He grabs the tin, taking a small scoop of soap in his hands before rubbing it into his dark, overgrown facial hair.

You get excited now knowing what he’s up to. You hold the mirror steady in your hands, only moving it when he says so as he makes quick work with the knife. He stops every so often to dip its shiny blade into the water, rinsing away the remnants of his island persona. You understand why Flip has been working on the tool all day, his military and law enforcement background making him used to being well groomed. You can tell by the way he holds the knife effortlessly in his hands that this must be what he did overseas. Your heart aches at the thought knowing how much the war changed the man before you.

Before your eyes, Flip changes from a castaway to the handsome man you first laid your eyes on at the airport sporting his usual goatee. You watch as he moves his face from side to side, running his large callused hands over his speckled skin to see if he missed any spots.

Suddenly Flip is pulling you by your ankles so that your legs are resting in his lap. His hands are running up and down your calves before he reaches for the knot securing your sarong to your body. Your cheeks grow red from embarrassment when you see the hair that is scattered along your body- you also being used to specific grooming habits. 

“Your turn,” Flip says seriously as he goes to grab for the knife that he plunged blade first into the sand. He hasn’t yet sensed the anxiety that now floods your body with the realization that he wants to shave you. _All of you_.

“Flip I…,” you begin to say trying to find a way out of the situation that’s making you ashamed of your own body.

“Doll. Don’t go there. Don’t hide from me.” Flip says now catching onto your fear as he reaches out his large hand to cup your jaw, forcing you to look at him. His brown eyes now penetrating your own as he holds your gaze.

“You are not that woman from the plane anymore. You are a strong and beautiful woman-hair or no hair- got it?” He says with his eyebrows drawn together but his gaze soft as he runs a large thumb over your lips and across your cheek.

You huff a breath out of your nose as you close your eyes and nod. Flip is right. You’re not that woman anymore. This island has changed you.

He gives you a small smirk before kissing you softly on the lips, your jaw still in his hands. His mouth lingers on yours a little too long and you know he wants to go further, but he doesn’t. A respectful man as always.

“Good. Now let me take care of my woman.”

_His woman_.

You let the words roll around in your head. You’ve never been anyone’s anything, let alone someone’s woman. As you look at the man before you, you are happy to be his and deep down, you know that he is yours just the same.

You watch as he takes your leg in his large hands and runs the sharp knife up and over each curve, holding the blade at such a small angle it is almost flush with your skin. If it were anyone else you would be afraid that they would cut you, but Flip is so skillful, each run of the knife done with so much care.

He finishes each of your legs, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses after each spot he completes. A worship to your body that you trust him so much with. He sets your legs off to the side off of his lap as he starts to crawl up your naked body, nuzzling his freshly shaved face against your curves. When he makes it up to your neck, he bites down gently before expertly maneuvering your arms above your head, your wrists held down and together with one of his large, rough hands.

He makes quick easy passes with the knife over each of your underarms. You lie there watching his dark eyes focus so intently on not cutting you, his grip on your wrists unmoving.

You can’t help when your breathing picks up, your breasts heaving with each inhale. Your nipples peaked with anticipation at where he will move to next. You can feel wetness pool between your legs. The intimate act of letting Flip shave you starting making your core ache with want.

He’s close to your ear now, his voice seeming impossibly deep now as he whispers his next command “Open your legs for me, let me see you.”

You do as he says, letting your legs open up as you watch him move to sit between them.

“Atta’ girl” Flip says roughly before nipping at the insides of each smooth leg where your knees are bent, his large hands massaging your calves while slowly pushing your legs further apart.

While the desire pools deep within you, you still can’t help the feelings of insecurity that run through your mind as feel his heavy gaze settle on your most intimate part. Your eyes are shut tight as you lay your head back against the sand waiting for Flip to make his next move.

_Nothing._

_Why isn’t he moving? Why isn’t he talking?_

You chance cracking one eye open to see what he’s waiting for. While you were stuck in your head panicking, your eyes shut tight, Flip maneuvered himself between your legs. His is face close to your dripping cunt, which is where he is currently looking up at you from. His pupils bloom before you, iris’s getting lost in his desire. His gaze is unmoving from yours as kisses the insides of your thighs right where they meet your center. His breath is warm as it ghosts over your folds, only one word leaving his lips.

“Beautiful.”

Your mouth drops open, a small moan leaving your lips at the sight of his dark gaze only for him to pull another from you as you feel his calloused fingertips spread your slick over your mound. He uses this opportunity to run the blade of the knife over your skin, using your excitement to glide the metal across your most sensitive areas. Your clit is throbbing and your legs spread wider on their own accord.

“You know how bad I fuckin’ want this? How bad I fuckin’ want you?” Flip growls, dipping the tip of his index finger into your wet pussy, only to retract it quickly. Your walls start clenching around the sudden loss.

“Fuck!” He growls out, sitting up suddenly as his long legs stretch out before him, his knees bent and forearms resting on them, the knife still in his hand.

“Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!” He yells out before forcefully stabbing the knife blade first into the sand beside him, running his hands through his dark raven locks. Pulling. Twisting.

Your slowly position yourself so you are propped up on one forearm and elbow, the other hand reaching out to Flip.

“Hey” you whisper as your fingers trace his muscular bicep “Hey Phillip, look at me.” You sit up further before pulling the sarong back over your body, fastening it in a knot behind your neck. You crawl to Flip before sitting in his lap. Your legs are wrapped around his middle as your arms loop loosely around his neck. You can feel his erection pressing against his abdomen between your bodies.

You pull his face towards you as you look deeply into his eyes “Tell me what’s going on in that head a’ yours.”

Flip huffs out a breath in frustration, eyes closed tightly as he tilts his head towards the sky before quickly returning his gaze to you.

“I feel like a total sack of shit. I want you more than I have wanted anything, and yet, I know how selfish of me that is.” He leans his head down to rest his forehead against yours as he draws in a deep breath to calm his arousal before he continues.

“We are stuck on a fuckin’ island and all I can think about is taking you on this beach and making you mine.” He lets out a growl of frustration as the words leave him, his nostrils flaring as he gently digs his fingertips into your hips where they rest. “I should know better than that. I need to focus on getting us rescued. Focus on keeping you safe.”

You pull your forehead back from his and smile softly at the man with so much turmoil in front of you. You look at him as he aggressively bites the inside of his lip, his eyebrows drawn together while looking at your chest. He’s thinking. He’s always thinking risks vs benefits, and you know that’s what he’s doing now.

“What if I get you pregnant? Huh? What if I get you pregnant, and we don’t get off this island? We can’t raise a baby on a fuckin’ island!” He blows a breath out exasperatedly, his cheeks puffing out as he does so before he looks up at you with pleading eyes “You deserve better than that. You deserve better than this” He says softly.

Tears start to form in your eyes not only because of how much Flip cares, but also for the piece of you that you are about to share with him.

You brush his inky, soft strands of hair away from his face. A silent tear rolls down your cheek as you speak.

“I can’t…I can’t have children Flip.”

You wait for his reaction, anticipating that your womanhood he just expressed as being beautiful will now be seen as “broken” or “damaged”, because in reality, this is how you often feel.

He grabs your face in his large hands. The pursed lip and furrowed brows from earlier are still there, but his light brown eyes are glossy and are moving quickly back and forth between your own. His voice cracks with emotion as he speaks...

“I love you, and you are perfect to me.”


	5. Chapter 5

_I love you_

He loves you and he doesn’t care that you can’t bare children. It’s not often you’re rendered speechless but as you sit here on flips lap looking at the man you’ve grown so fond of in the span of just a week, you realize that what you feel isn’t just fondness-it’s love. You love Phillip Zimmerman. You’ve never said this to anyone before, but yet again, you don’t have to think when you’re with him, you just feel.

You reply, your voice barely above a whisper as you fight to stop the tears that have already fallen from your face, it still being held safely between Flips large hands.

“I love you too,” you say back.

The smile that takes over Flips face is breathtaking. It’s paired with a short chuckle that comes from his chest as the dimples that you have grown to love so much make a quick appearance along with his adorable crooked teeth. His features quickly turn more serious as he pulls you in for a deep, soul binding kiss.

The way his mouth moves expertly against yours, his tongue just dipping into your mouth to caress yours before pulling back. The sound of his breath coming out in short pants from his nose is mixing with the sound of the waves and the blood rushing in your ears. The feel of his strong calloused hands cupping your jaw mixed with your surroundings is almost overwhelming. Your head dizzy with love, with lust. He holds you like you’ve never been held before. He holds you like you’re something so precious, not like you’re fragile and he’s afraid to break you, but like you’re the most important person in the world to him right now. These are words that remain unspoken behind his closed lips, but that you can feel are true.

Flip pulls away only to nuzzle his freshly shaven face into the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply your natural scent before speaking. You can feel him achingly hard against your stomach.

“How did I get this fuckin’ lucky? What did I do to deserve this?” He asks to no one in particular as he moves his hands around your body in gentle caresses. He touches the muscles and soft flesh of your back before resting his hands on the curve of your hips which remain splayed open as you straddle his lap, he kneads your flesh there in his large powerful hands. You feel the gentle licks of the warm ocean waves on your calfs as they crash against the shore. 

This is one thing that you’ve always appreciated since day one with Flip. You don’t need to talk to know how the other feels. The bond between you two forming so naturally. You just do what feels right, what feels good, and every fiber in your being is telling you that you need to have Flip inside of you, to feel his seed fill you. It’s raw and primal, but here on this island, that’s all you are. Stripped down to your very core you are barred to one another at your most basic state.

He doesn’t care that you could never bare him children one day if you both wanted, but the thought has always made your heart ache. That this choice was taken from you, that you never had a choice to begin with, but right here, right now? None of that matters. The only thing that matters is being connected to Flip in the most natural way possible-with your bodies.

He’s using his large hands to pull you against his erection that rests between your bodies as he nips at the pulse point just below your ear. You’ve moved your hands from their resting place behind his neck to tangle them in his hair, lightly pulling each time your clit makes contact with the base of his cock.

“I want you,” Flip growls against your skin before he takes another quick nibble “I want you more than a whole pack a cigs, more than I want to be rescued off this fuckin’ island. You understand that?”

In your lust driven state, you mutter the only word that comes to mind:

“Yes” you moan out, your voice guttural, raw, and unfamiliar to you.

That’s the only answer Flip needs as he again unties the knot of the sarong that barely covers your figure. His mouth immediately moves to your breasts, a strangled groan leaving his lips before he sucks each peaked bud into his mouth like he needs your body to survive. His hand keeps busy by kneading and pinching the soft flesh that lay neglected by his mouth.

You can’t help but arch your back when you find a sweet spot against Flips cock, rubbing your pulsing clit repeatedly against him in attempt to find release.

Flip releases one of your nipples from his mouth with a “pop” as he throws his head back his eyes closed and his jaw slack,

“ohhh fuckkk y/n” Flip groans out before pulling your mouth down to his in a wet sloppy kiss.

He slowly pulls his lips from yours, his mouth so close you feel his breath ghosting across your lips which you can’t help but bite in response. You can feel your pussy clenching around nothing with want and shiver running down your spine as he speaks three simple words:

“Ride my cock,” He growls out quietly, nuzzling his nose against yours with each word that spills from his lips.

A moan escapes you and you quickly nod your head as you lift yourself off of him just enough so that he can pull his large swollen dick from his shorts. You’ll never get used to the size of him no matter how many times you’ve seen it now. It still looks huge in his equally large hands.

He holds himself upright for you as you line your soaked and freshly shaven entrance with his swollen tip. You hold yourself steady with one hand on Flips muscular and now sun kissed shoulder as you slowly sink down taking him inch by delicious inch. A moan leaves each of you as you fully engulf him in your tight pussy, it already pulsing around him wanting more, the pain of being stretched so far already gone and fully replaced by pleasure.

“Oh Flip,” you say with a lust filled sigh as you pull his face upwards to look at you. You can’t help but smile when you see his pupils bloom with desire as his looks up at you with want. You pull his mouth to yours in a slow sensual kiss as you begin to rise and fall over his swollen cock, his hands gripping your ass to help you along.

You pull your mouth away and pant against him as you increase your pace. With each downward motion you can feel the thick head of his dick brush close to your belly button. Each outwards motion it brushes against your g-spot pulling you closer and closer to climax.

Flip has started meeting your movements with hard quick thrusts upward, you can see sweat running down his temples, his pecs and biceps flexing as pulls your ass down against him trying to get deeper inside your sweet dripping cunt.

“Fuck! Your pussy is so fuckin’ tight babe. You ride me so fuckin’ good.” Flip says through clenched teeth on one particularly hard thrust before he picks his momentum back up again.

It’s then that you reach between your bodies to make quick circles around your swollen clit, your other arm wrapped around Flips shoulders to secure you as you continue to ride his dick at a ravenous pace. Flip can feel your pussy tighten around him. He knows your close, and he knows just how to bring you over the edge

“This is my pussy. You understand me?” he says over the slapping sound of his hips meeting against yours with each hard thrust.

“I’m going to fill you up with so much fuckin’ cum. Mark you as my woman. You understand that? You’re my woman now?” He takes one of his large palms off your ass, moving it to cup your jaw in a tight grip as he pulls your face to look at him, sticking one of his large fingers in your mouth as you continue to fuck yourself on his cock “use those big fuckin’ words of yours babe and tell me you understand what I’m sayin’.”

You try to speak around the finger he has in your mouth but it comes out as gibberish, and when he pulls it out to hear you reply it’s in this very moment you come undone.

“Oh shit I’m coming! Yes! Yes! I’m yours!” You cry out over the sound of the waves crashing along the shore, the sound of flips deep grunts as he continues his relentless pace feeling your pussy try and milk him for all he’s worth.

“Good,” he says gruffly before pulling your mouth back to his kissing you deeply as he bottoms out one last time, only to quickly follow up with short little thrusts as he empties his seed into you. You can feel his thick cock twitch inside of you with each spurt of his cum painting your inner walls.

Flip finally pulls his mouth from yours before resting his sweaty cheek against your breasts. You take a moment to run your hands through his inky locks, pausing every so often to kiss his head.

While you would love to stay like this forever you know that you both should get cleaned up and make sure the fire is stocked enough to last the rest of the night. You place on last peck on the crown of Flips head before standing up, and as you move to head back into the ocean to wash off, Flip stops you, holding your hips as he places a sweet kiss to your womb before looking up at you,

“I love you” he says quietly, his expression matching his words of adoration.

You smile softly as you reply “I love you too,” and yet again the smile that lights up his face pushes the air from your lungs, it’s breathtaking.

You pull away to reach your hand down from him to take, which he does before quickly standing and kicking his shorts off. You’ve already turned your back and started making your way into the ocean, the top of the water resting just above your knees when you hear water splashing loudly behind you. You know what Flip is up to, so you try and make a run for it. Your legs no match for his longer ones as he catches you, grabbing you by your waist and hauling you into the water as you laugh.

It’s in this moment you think to yourself:

_Paradise. This must be paradise._

* * *

_Fuck this place_ you think as another loud clap of thunder booms ahead with flashes of lightening that seem to stretch for miles over the vast ocean.

You and Flip finished bathing in the ocean before you managed to catch a few fish and cook them over your fire which you just fully restocked before the dark clouds started looming over the beach.

The humor of it all is that you should have known this was going to happen given the time of year it was and the area that you only assumed was where you were stranded. You can’t help but laugh at the irony of it all considering just hours before you were calling this place paradise.

Flip pulls you closer in your shelter. His strong arms are wrapped around your middle, his hands are pulling up to makeshift blanket to shield you from the wind making it’s way through cracks in the walls of your home.

“What’s got you in such a mood that you feel like nowsa’ good time to laugh babe?” Flip asks, his chin resting on the top of your head as he speaks.

You let out another laugh before you respond, “I was laughing because just earlier I was considering this place to be paradise, but now I’m not so sure.” You cover your mouth to stifle more giggles that threaten to escape, but before you know it you can feel Flips chest vibrating against your back as he too tries to stifle his own laughter.

“I’m not gonna’ lie babe, I’ve definitely considered this place to be paradise a time or two, but I’m going to have to agree with you on this one, things aren’t looking so good for us right now are they?”

“n-n-no!” you barely manage to squeak out your reply before you both break out into a fit of hysterical laughter resulting in tears pouring down both of your cheeks.

_This must be it, you’ve both finally gone mad_ you think to yourself as you both struggle to catch your breath and wipe the tears from the corners of your eyes.

Flip is the first to speak again, his voice low and serious “how many more storms do you think are going to come through like this one?”

You can feel how the energy has shifted in your small shelter, the jokes and laughter from just moments before pulled away with the storm. You answer quickly without putting too much thought into the actual meaning behind Flips question.

“I can’t imagine that storms of this magnitude happen often, but it certainly is the season for them. I packed my bag with that in mind. Tropical storms can bring havoc on some of these small islands and their ecosystems.”

Among the rain pounding against the palm frond roof, to the howling of the wind as it passes through the trees on your island, you can hear Flip take a deep inhale of breath before he speaks next,

“If storms like this keep passing through, they won’t be looking for us.” It’s not a question, but a statement. It doesn’t take a scientist to know that search parties are often called off due to storms and rough seas. With no knowledge of how far out you are from Hawaii, you can’t even safely say that people are still looking for you.

This entire time, Flip has been keeping your hopes for rescue alive, and you can feel the defeat coming off him in waves. He’s grown silent and you know you need to keep his spirits up in the same way that he has done for you.

“Large fishing vessels still come out in rough seas and so do commercial airliners. We still have something to work with Flip, it might not be a lot, but we still have hope.”

You feel him relax slightly against your back, but you know from his silence he must be analyzing the situation, the detective in him never quits.

You have a feeling neither of you will get much sleep tonight, between the fears of not being found to the concern for lost resources, it will be hard to shut your mind off. You turn around in his grasp nuzzling your head against his chest while wrapping your arms around his broad frame, the two of you wrapped in a tight embrace as the little island home you have grown to love falls apart around you…


	6. Chapter 6

_Three weeks on the island…_

The week after the storm was filled with bringing your newfound home back to its original state. There was debris scattered over the sandy white shores of the island consisting of both natural elements and more items from the wreckage that had been washed up to shore. The SOS sign that Flip worked so hard to build was half covered by sand. Your fire source was essentially depleted now that the wood used as fuel was saturated with rain water. Several of the palm fronds used to thatch the shelter of your roof together had come undone or blown away. All in all, you and Flip certainly had your work cut out for you.

While you were eternally grateful that you and Flip worked well together, it was times like these that you truly counted your blessings. You both took to complete tasks that you originally worked on. You started braiding palm fronds for the roof and sweeping away the sand on the SOS sign, while Flip worked on ensuring you had something to eat and your water source was clean since you wouldn’t be able to have a fire soon. You were lost in your own thoughts placing the finishing pieces onto the roof of the shelter when you heard him shout.

“Ow! Shit! Fuck!” Flip yells out before breathing in fast and heavy through clenched teeth.

You quickly drop what you are doing and rush to him. He’s now bending down to hold onto his foot which was bleeding crimson onto the white sand below him, having cut it on a piece of shrapnel that made its way onto shore. You think quickly and try not to panic as you tell him to wait right there.

“Shit. Shit shit,” You cuss under your breath, as you quickly run back to the shelter, sand flying underneath your feet as you grab the first aid kit that was stored in the life raft. You’re on autopilot as you make your way back to Flip.

You make quick work and grab a large piece of sterile bandage, handing it over to Flip “Hold pressure while I go get these wet. Don’t let up okay?” you say as Flip nods curtly, his mouth now in a thin line as he breathes harshly through his nose. You dwell on whether this is from pain or because he’s pissed off as you make a quick beeline for the shore, taking some more sterile gauze to dip into the ocean. 

_The time we can’t get a fire for clean water something like this has got to happen... The salt from the ocean will have to do to clean his wound. God, I hope this works._ You think to yourself as you bring the gauze back to Flip who’s already bled through the white material you had given him just moments prior. _Shit. He’s going to need stiches,_ you think again as you try not to show your panic.

“Babe, I think you’re gonna’ have to stitch me up,” Flip says grimly as he lifts the gauze from his foot only to see blood quickly begin to seep from the deep gash. He quickly replaces the gauze to resume holding pressure.

“I-I’ve never done that before Phillip, I don’t know _how_ to do that.” You quickly say fighting around the lump in your throat.

“Just take a deep breath. Don’t go gettin’ worked up babe. I’ll guide you through it, I stitched plenty of guys up in the War. You just need listen to what I say. Okay? Flip says calmly as he grabs your chin in his large hand, forcing you to look him in the eyes. “Look at me. Do you got it?”

“Yes, I got it.” You say as you keep eye contact with him, biting your lip as you think about the the difficult task at hand.

“Good, now you already did the first step and that’s get something to clean the wound with. Now, you’re going to have to work hard to keep things clean because we don’t have a fire to boil anything okay?” Flip says out loud to no one in particular as he lets go of your chin and looks at the items in the first aid kit before continuing, “ Looks like they have a sterile needle and thread in there which is great. Now take the needle and thread and tie a knot in the eye loop.” He watches as you thread the needle and tie a knot, following his instructions word-for-word. “Good! Now, when I pull this bandage back, I want you to wring out the ocean water onto the cut before scrubbing the skin around it,” you watch as Flip tilts his head up to the sky while closing his eyes as he thinks about what’s to come “Shit this is going to burn like a motherfucker,” he says before looking back down to you.

You watch as Flip’s eyes dart around before grabbing his shirt he had discarded onto the sand before injuring himself. You watch as his balls up the article of clothing in one of his large hands before he takes a deep breath in and begins to talk again, “Alright now listen here babe, we aren’t trying to make this pretty, okay? We just want something that will hold up and stop the bleeding. This is the pattern we are going for,” Flip says before releasing the shirt in his hand and reaching for his knife, you watch as he makes a pattern in the sand before running though some other details. You listen intently, watching as Flip talks with his hands. You don’t want to miss any information.

Once he’s done, he jams the blade of his knife back into the sand before looking at you “You got any questions?” He watches as you shake your head _no_ before quickly nodding himself. He rolls up his shirt once more before placing it into his mouth. He looks at you and nods again, signaling to you that you can begin.

You know you can’t hold back, and you just have to dive in. You quickly remove the bandage over Flips foot and pour the salt water onto the deep wound. You hear Flip groan but don’t draw your attention away as blood flows onto the sand. With the area prepped, you take the needle and plunge it deeply into the skin of his foot…

* * *

_Flip looks around him, taking in the sites of the lush foliage of Colorado along an empty, winding road. It’s eerily quiet except for the dull muted sounds of the birds and wind passing through the tree canopy above. **Wait. We got off the island?** He thinks to himself as continues to take in his mysterious surroundings. He turns to his left, and then his right, taking note of a long cast-iron fence that seems to have no end. He looks to where it’s peaked tops disappear into a dense wall of fog. _

_He turns around and is greeted with a large archway, and just behind it, are the same plumes of smoke like fog that conceals what lies beyond in it’s dark grasp. His eyebrows pull together in confusion as he follows the beams of the arch upwards while muttering to himself “what the fu-“ He pauses when his gaze lands on the big black letters that read “Evergreen Cemetery Est 1871” resting now menacingly atop the open cemetery gates. Flip can feel the blood drain from his face as he hears the crunch of gravel underneath tires just behind him._

_He doesn’t want to turn around, he doesn’t want to see who’s coming up the once empty road leading to the rows of tombstones and mausoleums. He can feel his heart hammering in his chest as he takes a step to turn around. His stomach drops and his mouth goes dry when he sees a funeral procession-a hearse followed by dozens of police vehicles from the Colorado Springs PD. He stares blankly and follows the cars as they break through the wall of fog, his eyes catch a glimpse of an American flag draped over the casket in the back of the hearse. He watches as the cars pass by and catches glimpses of Ron, Jimmy, and Chief- his brothers, all driving in full police regalia with eyes red, and lined with tears._

**_Wait. If they are all here? If I’m here? Who’s dead?_ ** _Flip thinks to himself as he trots alongside the cars, stopping once he’s made it to the gravesite. Out of all of the familiar faces that stand before him-stand facing him, his mother’s face is what stops him cold in his tracks. Her cheeks are checks glossy from the tears that flow freely down her face as she holds an embroidered handkerchief to her lips. Her chin trembles as she watches several of his friends and military comrades pull the casket out from the hearse-his casket from the hearse._

_Flip quickly steps around next to his mothers’ side, he touches her arm softly but she doesn’t acknowledge him. She continues to bury her face into her hands as she cries heavily. He looks up as the sound of muted rifles go off and watches as Chief Bridges and Jimmy salute before they begin to unfold the American flag completely over his pine casket. His attention is then pulled to a photo of him in his military uniform just beyond his grave in the background. Flip watches as Ron takes his place at the podium and begins to speak. It’s like everything is happening underwater, everyone’s voice and the sounds around him dull but clear. Flip’s head is foggy, he shakes it quickly as he blinks back the scene before him and listens to the words coming from Ron._

_“Flip was like a brother to me. He is my brother. That man was as stubborn as an ox and sarcastic to the bone, but there wasn’t a second in his life that he wasn’t loyal to the ones he loved. Now, as you all know, we’ve been waiting for the news, waiting for the search to be called off, and for Flip to come home for months now, but we have received no such thing-“ Flip turns to face his mother as she begins to weep harder. He watches as Patrice pulls her into an embrace…_

_“In this job, we know death can be around any corner, that our lives may be taken too soon, and Phillip’s life was indeed taken far too soon. We’ve stayed loyal to our friend, our brother, our son for so long, and I know he would want us to lay him to rest. His casket lies empty today, except for the presence of some of his favorite things, some items that remind us of him. I know we will all continue to wait for the day that someone will bring him home to us, but until then we have each-other.”_

_It is at this time that Ron steps down, and a Rabi takes over while Flip watches his mother begin to drop dirt onto his pine coffin while Patrice holds her other hand. A mixture of all his worlds collide in this moment, a mixture between his blood family, his military family, his station family… Flip can feel tears start to stream down his own face now that the shock has worn off, but the tears are followed by something else. Hope?_

_Flip goes to the front of his casket and begins to yell, “I’m here! I’m not dead yet! I’m still out there!” His cries go unnoticed, his own voice muted and dull as his casket is slowly lowered into dark, cold ground below. He bends in half, his hands on his knees as a he lets out a frustrated yell. His breath then comes out in heaves from his chest before he lets out a series of sobs that rack through his body, it shaking as a result. **This all has to be a dream. This has to be a dream…**_

* * *

_One month on the island…_

It had been several days now of Flip slipping in and out of consciousness. Everything was going so well the first few days after Flip cut his foot, but then things just- _weren’t_. You first noticed a change when Flip made it a point to show you how to do all of his usual chores. When you asked him why he was showing you these things he would just say “Doll, we can’t guarantee my foot is gonna’ hold up. I need to show you this in the event I can’t do it.” You don’t know why you didn’t flat out ask him if something was wrong with his foot then. You’re mad at him for not telling you when it first started to show signs of infection. You knew something was really wrong when he began to limp. You had to force him to rest while you examined the laceration.

“Flip will you just sit down for five seconds so I can look at your foot? Please? You’re limping.” You asked him with an exacerbated sigh.

Flip let out an equally frustrated sigh, but did as you were told. He knew there was no point in fighting you. He would give you anything you wanted. If you wanted to try and play nurse out here on this island? So be it, he would be a good patient. You could feel tears come to your eyes when you saw how red and inflamed his skin was. The sutures themselves were beginning to bulge with tension and the wound was hot to the touch. You didn’t need to be a medical professional to know that it was infected.

“How long has it been this way Phillip? How long has it been infected?” You couldn’t help yourself from shouting. It wasn’t out of anger, but fear. An infection out here was a death wish. _Oh god…death…oh god…_ you thought to yourself as you waited for Flips reply. You could already feel the tears welling up in your eyes and your lower lip begin to tremble.

“A few days..” Flip said quietly before pulling you onto his lap and embracing you as you two sat in the sand, the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore playing softly in the background. “I didn’t want to scare you. You know as much as I do what this might mean for me-what this might mean for us. I’m so sorry babe. I’m so sorry,” Flip said as he pulled you closer, tears now running down his own cheeks as he rocked you back in forth in his lap.

The very next day Flip fell down in the sand as he was collecting firewood. You both decided then that he couldn’t do anymore work, that he was only allowed to rest from that point forward until his foot began to show signs of improvement. You remember watching tears spring from his eyes as he bit onto his shirt while you pulled the sutures free from the infected tissue of his foot. You made a mixture of boiled water and charcoal and applied it to the reopened and draining laceration. Afterwards, you laid down in the shelter next to him and just rested your head on his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat behind his slightly more prominent ribcage.

As the days went by, Flip began sleeping more and eating less. The wound wasn’t showing much sign of improvement no matter how often you cleaned it. At night he would pull you close as he shivered even though his body felt like fire against your own. He would tell you how brave you were and how proud of you he was. He would tell you how much he loved you…It was only a few more days after that that he fell into his current state of semi-unconsciousness. You knew the infection had spread to his bloodstream. You knew you couldn’t just stand by and watch the love of your life die. You had to find something else to help him. You had to go deeper into the forest of your island, and you had to do this all without Flip.

You took in the sight of Flips motionless and pale body as you worked to rid him of most of his clothing and cover and areas were sun could get into the shelter. He was still battling fevers and you needed to keep his temperature down while you were away-for however long you were away. You cleansed the wound on his foot one last time before wrapping it with a shredded T-shirt you boiled to sanitize. You were scared that he would pass while you were away, that he would leave this earth without you by his side, without giving you a chance to hold him one last time and say goodbye. You knew if you stayed here and continued the way that you were, he would surely die, but if you found what you were looking for deep in the jungle, Flip just might make. This is a chance you were willing to take.

As you sat down beside him dripping coconut water into his mouth and watching him swallow every so often, you thought about what your life would have been like if you didn’t take that job opportunity in Hawaii and if it had been someone else who you were stranded on this island with. Even worse, you thought about if you never made it off that plane at all. You owed Flip your life, and you were going to try your very best to save his. You finished giving him the remainder of the coconut water before leaning down to press your lips against his forehead, closing your eyes and allowing tears to flow freely down your cheeks as you reveled in what may be your last moments with Flip.

“I love you Phillip Zimmerman. I love you so much,” you said in between sobs, “Wait for me to come back to you. I _will_ come back to you.” You gave Flip one last kiss before grabbing his knife and his lighter and setting off into the dense foliage with only one goal in mind: save Flip’s life. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'll keep adding as the story comes to me. I always love hearing from you all on here and on tumblr @mind-p0llution. Much love- Kate


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